Choosing to Follow None

[Twine]

Let me start by saying, I searched. For quite some time, actually. I researched Goddesses of known pantheons and some I have never even seen or heard of in my (numerous) lives! But despite my searches, despite my study and despite my pre-conceptions, I have come to realize (as I did when originally starting down this winding path) that perhaps I am strong enough on my own.

Now this was something to mull over. So many witches choose to follow Gods and Goddesses, be they ancient or modern, in search of power and truth and their true selves. I've never really been a follower, so this was difficult concept for me to 'adhere' to, and I came to the conclusion that perhaps it is not right for me to follow a God or Goddess, but to instead follow the things that I can learn, to be my own God(dess) of sorts. To find power in myself and in the universe and perhaps even in truth itself. I be no means intend to put down those who follow a deity, as I cannot say I don't envy the ability to follow at times. I know myself, though, and I know that I am strong enough to pave my own path, to learn my own truths and to pull together the knowledge I come about first hand, through observation, through experimentation, through study, as most do to an extent. But I feel that they take what they learn and apply it to their chosen path, whereas I have chosen to instead pull all of that information and piece it together, brick by brick, to pave a new little path, my own path to Perfection.

The point I am trying to make, and would very much like others who have chosen this method to also post their thoughts, is that following a God/Goddess isn't the only way to go. Do I believe in a God and Goddess, yes, but I don't let them dictate what I do, or how I practice, as I have faith that I am Created....no, that we are ALL Created to find our own paths to truth. This is for those out there who have gotten lost trying to follow in foot-steps of others, those who can see where they need to be and see that the path they are one is winding around or going in the opposite direction. This is for those who trust in themselves to find their own way and want to shed the conception that you can only find your way 'There' with Guidance.

Fingers crossed, I've said what I wanted to say. Consider it.
-Twine

[JBRaven]

Twine, you are such a beautiful person. Everyone must find their own truths and conviction. You are so young and have already taken so many steps on your path, it seems you have left your age group (and many older than you) in your dust. I pray that you find peace and wholeness in you path. Be never close hearted, though I do not see that as a threat to your growth. I could boost your ego more, but I will move on.

Because I believe that the God (dess) are all of the same energy, and that includes us as humans, I think I see a part of where you come from. If I call to Lada, I am calling love from myself. If I do a path working with Badb I am working with my own fears of death. I think that Gods are aspects of ourselves that we push into higher power. To call upon Gods is to call upon ourselves. Some people are not able to call upon their own strength and transfer that strength to a name. Calling gods names helps with the separation of mind and body.

[Victoria Mnemosyne]

Now this was something to mull over. So many witches choose to follow Gods and Goddesses, be they ancient or modern, in search of power and truth and their true selves. I've never really been a follower, so this was difficult concept for me to 'adhere' to, and I came to the conclusion that perhaps it is not right for me to follow a God or Goddess, but to instead follow the things that I can learn, to be my own God(dess) of sorts. To find power in myself and in the universe and perhaps even in truth itself. I be no means intend to put down those who follow a deity, as I cannot say I don't envy the ability to follow at times. I know myself, though, and I know that I am strong enough to pave my own path, to learn my own truths and to pull together the knowledge I come about first hand, through observation, through experimentation, through study, as most do to an extent. But I feel that they take what they learn and apply it to their chosen path, whereas I have chosen to instead pull all of that information and piece it together, brick by brick, to pave a new little path, my own path to Perfection.

The point I am trying to make, and would very much like others who have chosen this method to also post their thoughts, is that following a God/Goddess isn't the only way to go. Do I believe in a God and Goddess, yes, but I don't let them dictate what I do, or how I practice, as I have faith that I am Created....no, that we are ALL Created to find our own paths to truth. This is for those out there who have gotten lost trying to follow in foot-steps of others, those who can see where they need to be and see that the path they are one is winding around or going in the opposite direction. This is for those who trust in themselves to find their own way and want to shed the conception that you can only find your way 'There' with Guidance.

Fingers crossed, I've said what I wanted to say. Consider it.
-Twine

Twine- I find myself in the interesting position of both siding with and against you Not all of those who choose to incorporate deities into their path are strictly worshiping a corporeal God or Goddess. I believe that deities are created by us in our image. The difference in calling upon, say Aphrodite as opposed to another Goddess or God of love- and there are at least one of these to be found is almost every pagan religion- is that I recognize a mirror effect between love within myself and what love means to me personally and the characteristics found in this particular deity. More simply put, I reach into myself, define what this concept means to me, and through a bit of research find a God or Goddess that most closely embodies that. For the sake of focus, I find that it is easier to view my concept of Love as a specific God than it is to incorporate it into my practice as some ethereal, un-defineable concept. Not all of us who incorporate (to avoid the verb "use") Gods or Goddesses are following others in leiu of finding our own path. I think you will find there are as many interpretations of a single Goddess as there are people to interpret her. The path I put together, brick by brick as you said, is created by me and mine alone to follow. Instead of looking for bits of a God in myself, I see my own face in every God I refer to. Gods and Goddesses are just another name, I believe, for the All- energy, forces of creation and existance, what-have-you. The Gods and Goddesses people do or have worshipped are just the names we give aspects of that which is within us all.

[magus]

I would say you're definitely right about people not actually needing a God or Goddess to "follow". But, I'd just like to say that not all people "follow" a diety. I would say that I'm more at a friendly level with my Goddesses, if that makes any sense. I just think it would be weird to follow a friend, though I know some people that do that..

[Twine]

Twine- I find myself in the interesting position of both siding with and against you Not all of those who choose to incorporate deities into their path are strictly worshiping a corporeal God or Goddess. I believe that deities are created by us in our image. The difference in calling upon, say Aphrodite as opposed to another Goddess or God of love- and there are at least one of these to be found is almost every pagan religion- is that I recognize a mirror effect between love within myself and what love means to me personally and the characteristics found in this particular deity. More simply put, I reach into myself, define what this concept means to me, and through a bit of research find a God or Goddess that most closely embodies that. For the sake of focus, I find that it is easier to view my concept of Love as a specific God than it is to incorporate it into my practice as some ethereal, un-defineable concept. Not all of us who incorporate (to avoid the verb "use") Gods or Goddesses are following others in leiu of finding our own path. I think you will find there are as many interpretations of a single Goddess as there are people to interpret her. The path I put together, brick by brick as you said, is created by me and mine alone to follow. Instead of looking for bits of a God in myself, I see my own face in every God I refer to. Gods and Goddesses are just another name, I believe, for the All- energy, forces of creation and existance, what-have-you. The Gods and Goddesses people do or have worshipped are just the names we give aspects of that which is within us all.

I understand your reasoning and see how it could be helpful. I would simply find that time consuming and as there is never a God or Goddess that matches EXACTLY what I want to accomplish, I find it simpler and more efficient for ME to bypass them entirely. As opposed to spending time searching and trying to match what I want to accomplish with a specific God or Goddess, even if a reflection of myself, I just go straight to the source. If I want a love spell, I will just send love, think love, feel love.

I would say you're definitely right about people not actually needing a God or Goddess to "follow". But, I'd just like to say that not all people "follow" a diety. I would say that I'm more at a friendly level with my Goddesses, if that makes any sense. I just think it would be weird to follow a friend, though I know some people that do that..

I also very much understand your view. You more work with a God or Goddess rather than for one. Like old friends of sorts. That could be useful, as well, as I'm sure they are a wealth of knowledge. I seek help my Guide and past-lives in the same way, but being that they are in essence me, I just use them to help me unlock the things that I already have within, you see? I'm sure you could say the same.

Twine, you are such a beautiful person. Everyone must find their own truths and conviction. You are so young and have already taken so many steps on your path, it seems you have left your age group (and many older than you) in your dust. I pray that you find peace and wholeness in you path. Be never close hearted, though I do not see that as a threat to your growth. I could boost your ego more, but I will move on.

Because I believe that the God (dess) are all of the same energy, and that includes us as humans, I think I see a part of where you come from. If I call to Lada, I am calling love from myself. If I do a path working with Badb I am working with my own fears of death. I think that Gods are aspects of ourselves that we push into higher power. To call upon Gods is to call upon ourselves. Some people are not able to call upon their own strength and transfer that strength to a name. Calling gods names helps with the separation of mind and body.

I'm not so sure I deserve such flattery, as I may be young in years, but not in lives. I thank you, nonetheless, though. And share the belief that we are all part of the same energy, but also have distinctions. We're all part of the whole, the puzzle, but we don't necessarily all have the same shape, if you understand what I'm trying to say.

[magus]

I also very much understand your view. You more work with a God or Goddess rather than for one. Like old friends of sorts. That could be useful, as well, as I'm sure they are a wealth of knowledge. I seek help my Guide and past-lives in the same way, but being that they are in essence me, I just use them to help me unlock the things that I already have within, you see? I'm sure you could say the same.

Exactly! I get what you're saying, I just thought I'd share my view.

[Symandinome]

Twine I think your a very interesting girl just from what I've read on this posting. I think that you have a deeper understanding of yourself than you probably realize and I encourage you to spend more time thinking about what you believe as far as yourself but also to entertain the idea of how your way of thinking also relates to the world around you including other people and the universe itself. I would be very interested in hearing what you come up with.

It is not necessary to call upon a god or a goddess however for many it makes life easier. I think its great that you can recognize that it all is within you and that you do not feel the need to try to address an "outside" entity per se.

I personally do not feel the need to call on deities by name. I acknowledge the duality within the universe and know that I am part of it just as everyone else is. I am of "GOD" and "GOD" is of me. Over the years I have come to the decision to not use the ancient names of Deity instead i just refer to the Universal Power or God and Goddess in general. I view the Universal Power as the purest of all forms of energy and that I am just an incarnation of the Energy of God filtering itself through experiences to repurify itself and keep it from stagnation.

Keep up the deep thinking you are a profound person!

[Twine]

{I'm going to try this again. I thought I replied, but I guess I accidentally exited out before it posted, so... Here we go again}

Exactly! I get what you're saying, I just thought I'd share my view.

Thank you for sharing! I always find it interesting to hear about other people's views on the exact same topic. It's amazing how no one will feel the exact same way. The power of the 'schema!'

I personally do not feel the need to call on deities by name. I acknowledge the duality within the universe and know that I am part of it just as everyone else is. I am of "GOD" and "GOD" is of me. Over the years I have come to the decision to not use the ancient names of Deity instead i just refer to the Universal Power or God and Goddess in general. I view the Universal Power as the purest of all forms of energy and that I am just an incarnation of the Energy of God filtering itself through experiences to repurify itself and keep it from stagnation.

I too acknowledge the duality of the universe! I find it almost beautiful that such a vast universe can be traced back or broken down into two distinct groups. Even within ourselves we have duality. Anima and animus!

Keep up the deep thinking you are a profound person!

I try to! But sometimes, you just have to open your mind, as you never know what may just wander in.

{Sorely lacking compared o the first one, but it gets the point across just fine, I think.}

[Tylluan]

I don't follow a diety either and have managed to successfully walk this wonderful path for a long time now. There is alot of pressure for people to find a god or goddess in order to feel 'proper' however I think alot of this pressure comes from within and the very nature of our path. Being solitary isn't easy and its nice to seek guidance and comfort. Finding our god/goddess makes us feel we are on the right track hence the worry when we can't fit with one.

Embracing the life force of our planet and feeling it in your bones is incredible and its easy to see that you feel that. You don't need to break that force down, make it gender specific and name it for it to be powerful.

Your definately not alone
x

[Moon Stone]

The point I am trying to make, and would very much like others who have chosen this method to also post their thoughts, is that following a God/Goddess isn't the only way to go. Do I believe in a God and Goddess, yes, but I don't let them dictate what I do, or how I practice, as I have faith that I am Created....no, that we are ALL Created to find our own paths to truth. This is for those out there who have gotten lost trying to follow in foot-steps of others, those who can see where they need to be and see that the path they are one is winding around or going in the opposite direction. This is for those who trust in themselves to find their own way and want to shed the conception that you can only find your way 'There' with Guidance.

Fingers crossed, I've said what I wanted to say. Consider it.
-Twine

I fall into the category of some one that does not follow any God/Goddess. However, it is because I do not believe in any deities. I am an Atheist witch. I believe in energy forces, and the power of magick, and am relatively sure there is some kind of an afterlife. (Lack of belief in deities is the only requirement for Atheism.) Whether or not these are actually supernatural is unclear to me as it is always possible that these things do fall withing the natural but are things that science has not learned or figured much out about yet.


So, in summary, I 100% agree with you that being a follower of any deities is not the only way to go, but will include that we are not required to believe in the existence of any deities either.

[Twine]

I'm loving the replies this topic is getting! And MoonStone! I very much enjoy your approach, very original. I at times feel that I'm sliding into that category, as I do not believe the God/Goddess have a form, they are just an energy, but I still consider them.... Well, actually, I guess we're twinkies in that aspect that I don't really find them to be "Beings' necessarily. But I do believe in an energy, or rather a pair that come together to create a complete power... sort of.

[Sorcha]

I don't believe in a Goddess/God/what-have-you. As a hedgewitch I'm a student of practicality, and I know plenty of people who work spells and call themselves witches without deities.

I believe in nature, life, love, and the power we hold within ourselves. I'm an animist, and I believe in spirits and ghosts and all sorts of things. But if there are gods, they are of no concern to me. Even when I was an Asatruar, I was very distant from the gods. I was dedicated to Odin in a sense I am a student of wisdom, poetry, art, and war, but as a deity we limited dealings.

I live my life, if there are gods they seem to respect that and don't need me to have anything to do with them.

[filipesia]

Hi, all of you! Im new to this website and actually just learning about witchcraft. It seems many of you choose not to follow any aprticular deity in your practice of witchcraft, and I would like you to tell me a little about how this works. Firstly, many online blogs/posts/guides state that it is NECESSARY to believe in a god or goddess to practice witchcraft, as an acknowledgement of the existence of something bigger than yourself. Is this wrong? Is it really possible to be an atheist and a witch? Secondly, some rituals require to invoke/mention the chosen deity. How should I perform a spell or ritual when I have no particular deity?

[Sorcha]

Hi, all of you! Im new to this website and actually just learning about witchcraft. It seems many of you choose not to follow any aprticular deity in your practice of witchcraft, and I would like you to tell me a little about how this works. Firstly, many online blogs/posts/guides state that it is NECESSARY to believe in a god or goddess to practice witchcraft, as an acknowledgement of the existence of something bigger than yourself. Is this wrong? Is it really possible to be an atheist and a witch?

Those websites are wrong. You can practice witchcraft if you believe in the Goddess, or in Odin, or in the Flying Spaghetti Monster or in nothing at all of the sort. You just have to believe in the power of what you're doing. Call it energy, call it spirit, call it the bloody Force, it doesn't much matter. I know there are things bigger than me at work in this world. I just call it nature, personally.

Secondly, some rituals require to invoke/mention the chosen deity. How should I perform a spell or ritual when I have no particular deity?

Alter the ritual. Find another ritual with the same idea. There are plenty of spells with no mention of a deity what-so-ever. Personally, I rarely use prewritten rituals, and if I do it's because someone I know has written it. If I need to preform a spell I think of what I'm trying to accomplish, gather what I need, think it through, etc. I'm a hedgewitch, so I use a lot of herbs and oils and stones and wandering out in the Pine Barrens. It's rare for me to cast circles or do any huge complicated speeches during spells. Last I checked I'm not any less a witch.

[Victoria Mnemosyne]

Filipesia:
Those websites were incorrect, unless you were reading about Wicca. As an organized religion, Wicca has a core set of beliefs and if you deviate too far from them you may no longer call yourself a Wiccan. For Christians, believing that Jesus Christ is the son of God is one such core belief. In Wicca, there is a God and a Goddess. That is necessary to calling oneself Wiccan.

However, Wicca is a type of witchcraft. There are many witches who are NOT Wiccan, and do not follow Wiccan traditions.